Question
Read the passage and answer the question below.
“Whereas some doubts have arisen whether children produced by any Englishman and a negro woman should be slave or free, be it therefore enacted and declared by this present grand assembly, that all children borne in this country shall be held bond, or free only according to the condition of the mother. And if any Christian shall commit fornication with a negro man or woman, he or she so offending shall pay double the fines imposed by the former act.”
-Source: Virginia slave law passed by the House of Burgesses in December 1662
Which of the following describes the change highlighted in the excerpt?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A) Children inherited enslaved status through their mother’s line for life.
A
Children inherited enslaved status through their mother’s line for life.
(Choice B) Colonial law determined that a child of a British colonist and an enslaved person of African descent was free.
B
Colonial law determined that a child of a British colonist and an enslaved person of African descent was free.
(Choice C) Enslaved people of African descent received legal protections after they converted to Christianity.
C
Enslaved people of African descent received legal protections after they converted to Christianity.
(Choice D, Checked) Slave owners kept enslaved families together and refused to separate children from their mothers.
D
Slave owners kept enslaved families together and refused to separate children from their mothers.
“Whereas some doubts have arisen whether children produced by any Englishman and a negro woman should be slave or free, be it therefore enacted and declared by this present grand assembly, that all children borne in this country shall be held bond, or free only according to the condition of the mother. And if any Christian shall commit fornication with a negro man or woman, he or she so offending shall pay double the fines imposed by the former act.”
-Source: Virginia slave law passed by the House of Burgesses in December 1662
Which of the following describes the change highlighted in the excerpt?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A) Children inherited enslaved status through their mother’s line for life.
A
Children inherited enslaved status through their mother’s line for life.
(Choice B) Colonial law determined that a child of a British colonist and an enslaved person of African descent was free.
B
Colonial law determined that a child of a British colonist and an enslaved person of African descent was free.
(Choice C) Enslaved people of African descent received legal protections after they converted to Christianity.
C
Enslaved people of African descent received legal protections after they converted to Christianity.
(Choice D, Checked) Slave owners kept enslaved families together and refused to separate children from their mothers.
D
Slave owners kept enslaved families together and refused to separate children from their mothers.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is:
**(Choice A) Children inherited enslaved status through their mother’s line for life.**
This choice accurately reflects the passage's declaration that the status of children (whether they are bond or free) is determined by the condition of their mother. The excerpt emphasizes that all children born in the country will inherit their status based on their mother's condition, thus establishing a system where enslaved status is inherited through the maternal line.
**(Choice A) Children inherited enslaved status through their mother’s line for life.**
This choice accurately reflects the passage's declaration that the status of children (whether they are bond or free) is determined by the condition of their mother. The excerpt emphasizes that all children born in the country will inherit their status based on their mother's condition, thus establishing a system where enslaved status is inherited through the maternal line.